1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to braking devices, in particular to braking devices on dual-bearing reels for braking the spool supported rotatively in the reel unit.
2. Description of Related Art
In dual-bearing reels referred to as bait reels, utilized mainly for lure fishing, generally braking force is made to act on the spool so that backlash, wherein the rotational speed of the spool when casting is faster than the line wind-out speed, does not occur. As examples of this class of braking device centrifugal braking mechanisms that employ centrifugal force developing from spool rotation to brake the spool, and casting control mechanisms that mechanically brake the spool shaft by grasping either end of the spool spindle are known.
Japanese Laid-Open patent application No. 10-304798 discloses a centrifugal braking mechanism in this class of braking device, wherein the braking force is adjustable from the outer side of the reel body.
The centrifugal braking mechanism is furnished with a rotary member that rotates linked with the spool; a plurality of shifting members disposed in radial fashion on the rotary member; a brake member that comes into contact with the tips of the braking members; and a braking force adjustment mechanism. The rotor is fixed to the spool spindle for the linked rotation with the spool. The shifting members of the plurality are fitted to, and pivotable around axes along chord directions of, the rotating member; by centrifugal force they pivot within planes that pass through the axis of the spool. The brake member is non-rotatably fitted to the reel body but able to travel in the spool spindle direction, and is brought into contact with shifting members that pivot under centrifugal force. A mechanism that shifts the brake member back and forth in the spool spindle direction, the braking force adjustment mechanism is for adjusting braking force that contacting of the shifting members on the brake member generates.
In the above-noted conventional centrifugal braking mechanism, when the spool rotates centrifugal force acts on the shifting members, and the shifting members pivot heading spool-spindle outward. The shifting members then contact the brake member, which brakes the spool. Shifting the brake member in the axial direction by means of the braking force adjustment mechanism adjusts the braking force by altering its moment according to the pivotal angle of the shifting members during contact with the brake member.
Casting control mechanisms, on the other hand, are furnished with friction plates disposed on either end of, as a pair sandwiching, the spool spindle, and a cap provided screw-mated to the reel body in order to regulate the grasping force by the friction plates. In the casting control mechanism, the spool shaft is braked by turning the cap, which presses the spool spindle more towards the friction plate on the other end than the friction plate on the one end.
In the conventional braking devices noted above, the spool spindle shifts slightly when adjusting the braking force with the casting control mechanism. When the spool shaft shifts, this accompanied by the rotary member of the centrifugal braking mechanism also shifting axially, along with its shifting members.
When the shifting members shift axially, the clearance between them and the brake member--fitted to be shiftable on the reel body--becomes different from the pre-shift clearance, and the shifting-member pivotal angle changes. When adjusting the braking force with the casting control mechanism, therefore, the braking force from the centrifugal braking mechanism will sometimes change even if the brake member is disposed in the same position axially. Accordingly, the above-noted conventional, exteriorly adjustable centrifugal braking mechanism leaves the concern that the braking force cannot be adjusted very accurately when the spool spindle shifts.